Improvement in gates



V. BABCOCK.

Gahf

` Patented July 31, 1866.-

No. 56,693i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YANTUYL'BABCOCK, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.`

IMPROVEMENT IN GATES.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,693, dated July 31, 1866.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VANTUYL BAEcocx, of the city of Marshall, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a larly to describe the same.

My arrangement does not require any special mode of constructing the fence-sections to which the gate is applied, with the exception of setting two of the posts somewhat higher than the rest, as seen in Fig. l, where A A represent the two high, and B B the ordinary, posts of the fence.

.G indicates the fence rails or boards, which may be framed into the posts or nailed on in the common way, a facing-strip, D, being attached, as usual with this kind 0f fence.

A supplementary post, E, is set opposite to und outside of the posts A at a distance from it equal to the full thickness of the center portion of the gate, and a guide-rail, F, is rmly secured at the upper end between the main and supplemental posts.

I provide the gate with an upper rail, G,

sufficiently deep to prevent sagging, which rail projects a short distance beyond the inner stile or cleat facings, H, and attach' to each side of this projecting end a piece of plank, (indicated at I,) which extend upward sufficiently to receive two rollers, R and R2, between, in such manner as to embrace the sides and edges of the guide-rail F aforesaid, but with sufficient looseness to permit a free sliding movement. I usually round the upper ends of the saddle-planksI close to the upper roller and cap them with sheet-iron.

The gate is mainly supported by its upper rail, Gr, resting and sliding upon the upper side of another roller, R3, hung between the two long outer posts.

J represents a short supplemental post, which is set in the ground opposite the fence-post B, so as to form a recess to receive the end of the gate when shut. The upper ends of these two posts are usually covered by a cap, as in'- dicated by the dotted lines.

My usual mode of securing the gate when `shut is by means of a xed latch-piece, L, which is notched so as to catch in the lower cross-bar, b.

To open and shut the gate, it is merely pushed by hand back and forth upon the rollers, being guided at one'end by the rollersaddle and at the other by the two posts, and it will be readily seen that, as the gate must have some lap, or, in other words, that, as the gate must be wider than the opening it is intended to close, the overhang, when it is nearly closed, will not produce sagging, as the roller R2 bears against the under edge of the guide-rail F, and the distance from such bearing Ato the fulcrum or point where the gate is supported by its upper rail on the roller R3 is sufficiently long to prevent any injurious strain by the overhanging weight.

My mode, as described herein, of hanging a gate requiresno special construction in the gate itself, excepting as it relates to the upper rail, as heretofore described, and is pe culiarly applicable for use on farms, where large gates are so frequently required in new positions, being as readily applied to an old inclosure as to'an entirely new construction.

To attach it to a fence already erected it is only necessary to remove one panel, set the supplemental posts, and lengthen out the two fence-posts of the adjacent panel, so as to get a firm attachment of the guide-rail F.

I do not claim, broadly, sliding a gate parallel with the fence on rollers, for this is old; but,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement and combination of the rail G, saddle-pieces I, rollers R. R2 R3, and supplemental posts E and J with an ordinary gate and fence, substantially in the manner and for the use herein specied.

VANTUYL BABGOOK.

Witnesses:

O'rclo L. J oHNsoN, GEORGE J oHNsoN. 

